Prof. Dr. Sohan Raj Tater
JAIN VISHVA BHARATI UNIVERSITY
Acharya Mahapragya Pravas Samiti 's president Shri Babulal Sekhani along with his team requesting Acharya Shri to extend his Bidasar stayOnly those gain popularity who devote their lives to the welfare of humanity. Those, whose consciousness for the good of others is aroused, become popular. Acharyashri Mahapragya is the Vivekanand of modern India. For the last 77 years, he has been whole-heartedly devoted to the well being of mankind. Following the maxim "tinnanam taryanam" he has constantly treading the path that lead to the welfare not only of self but of others also. Acharyashri Mahapragya is undoubtedly at the highest level in the field of spiritualism.
According to Acharyashri Mahapragya, there are two bases of spiritualism—soul and karma. If we remove these two elements, a big zero will remain there in spiritualism. The whole concept and system of spiritualism is based on the idea that soul is to be liberated from karma. If there is no soul, then who is to be liberated? If there is no karma, then from what is soul to be liberated? The concept "soul is to be liberated from karma" covers the entire spiritualism. Acharyashri Mahapragya himself is a great spiritual yogi. During the long 77 years of monkhood he has experienced soul many times. Messages for self-awakening of mankind through his sermons are beings telecast daily on Sanskar channel. Through this channel, sermons of Acharyshri Mahapragya are being telecast throughout the world for a long time.
By listening to his valuable sermons, based on his experiences and also experimental, lives of thousands of people have undergone a vast change. They are beneficial to each and every being. They have gained Acharyshri Mahapragya great popularity. People of all castes and creeds, be they Jains or other than Jains, educated or uneducated, intellectuals, politicians, social reformers, businessmen, students and women, are getting benefited and awakening their souls.
Acharyshri Mahapragya has given a valuable gift to mankind in the form of five clues of submission—psychical activity, detachment from reaction, measured speech, abstinence in eating and fellow felling. As a result of which lives of thousands of persons are changing thoroughly. Acharyashri Mahapragya claims that if all these clues are followed devotedly and whole-heartedly, the terrible problems of today—terrorism, insensitivity, intolerance, tendency of possession inequality, cruelty and addiction etc. can be solved easily. By observing these submissions, votaries cannot only win the love of others, but can extend their feelings of love to others also. Experiments in perceptional meditation have earned Acharyashri Mahapragya great popularity as these experiments provide solutions to all the problems of mankind.
In the words of Acharyashri Mahapragya, "Spiritualism and science are the supplements of each other. Relative development of both of them is necessary." Both spiritualism and science are the ways of discovering truth. In this age of science, adopting scientific outlook is very necessary. At the same time, for a peaceful life, spirituality too is necessary. Spirituality + Scientific outlook = Spiritual-scientific personality. Man should not be merely a scientist, nor should he be merely spiritual. He should have the combination of both spirituality and scientific outlook. This combination is the need of today as it is the solution of all the present day problems. This combination prepares the ground for the science of living. This broad thinking of Acharyshri Mahapragya, that asks for a co-ordination between spirituality and science, has made him extremely popular. He possesses a unique gift of making spiritualism experimental at the level of science and applying it to the life of common man through proper training. This rare art has made him famous and popular throughout the world. Acharyshri Mahapragya possesses transcendental consciousness. He has thorough knowledge of a number of subjects like science, psychology, philosophy, parapsychology, Economics, physics, physiology and anatomy etc. He gets all this knowledge by his transcendental consciousness. It seems his third eye too is open. A man, living at the level of mental consciousness only, cannot have such a vast, deep and thorough knowledge. His transcendental conscious has a great role in making him so popular worldwide.
Acharyashri Mahapragya has a great knowledge of psychology. He comes to know the mentality, nature and characteristics of a man simply by looking his facial expressions, movement and the aura that surrounds him. He immediately comes to know what type of a man one is because of this rare faculty of him. He believes that the value of physical, mental and emotional health is 10%, 30% and 60% respectively. Hence we should proceed from the reverse order. We should give priority to emotional health and then think of mental and physical health. By following this order, worries will automatically cease to be. For the attainment of physical, mental and emotional health, Acharyashri Mahapragya has given a valuable gift to mankind in the form of perceptional meditation. Along with perceptional meditation, he has also prescribed science of living, by following the principle of which, one can lead a systematic life. He brought into force the code of conduct of Anuvrata so that man can incur morality in life. One who follows Anuvrata and science of living and observes perceptional meditation will definitely have an all-round development. Because of these three valuable contributions, he has come to be known as the masiha of mankind and has become very, very popular in all parts of the world.
The gist of Acharyashri Mahapragya's thinking is: Remain inside, live outside. He lays special emphasis on being face to face with inner consciousness and experiencing it. He himself makes contact with his sub-conscious and unconscious mind and tells others also the method of doing so. By practising perceptional meditation devotedly, one can make contact with one's sub-conscious mind. Acharyashri Mahapragya firmly believes that when the practice of relaxation is strengthened, one comes to feel, "Body does not have consciousness, I am not the mind, speech does not have consciousness, I do not lack consciousness." By the practice of relaxation, one comes to realize that body; breath and senses etc. are different from soul. Only on the realization of this difference, one comes to have the knowledge of existence and to have right faith. The resultants of right faith are—peace, awareness of liberation, detachment, compassion and devotion to truth. This philosophical thinking of Acharyashri Mahapragya raised him in the esteem of people all over the world and made him extremely popular.
Acharyashri Mahapragya has made a resolution, "I will not think ill of anyone. This is my firm belief that one who thinks ill of others and wants to harm them, may or may not harm them, but one will certainly harm oneself." There are tons of truth in this thinking and has rightly made him popular all over. His literature too has contributed a lot in bringing in his name and fame. His literature presents a permanent solution to all the present-day problems—tension, insensitivity, excitement, depression, terrorism, inferiority complex, hatred, fraud, and deceit, inauthencity and disturbance. Paying my heart-felt respect to the great reverence, admiration, love and popularity earned by Acharyshri Mahapragya, I wish him a very long life.